Welt support



Spt. 5, 1939. l- F SMITH E1- AL 2,172,263

WELT SUPPORT Filed June 24, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR, WILLiAM C. CARD,JR. BYJOHN F SMpTH,

Sept. 5, 1939.

J. F. SMITH ET Al.

WELT SUPPORT Filed June 24, 1957 s sheets-sheet 2 R ..J 5,.. RwH Mmm CAW E TCM N Nc.5 R WMF. o mwN uw MJ Y B Sept. 5, 1939. J. F. SMITH ET AL.

WELT SUPPORT Filed June 24, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet C5 4 y 7 8 5 3 2 1 7 8 2 Z 6 I .m M 1 uw H a0 7 1 M M m 6 I W 0 9 M M 5 6 14. 9 d. L 1 0 MA .WWII n\.4l. I up 9 kv; 6 1 l 6 Z 8 MM a f ,o a 7L A INVENTORS,

wfLLlAM c. CARD, JR.

MrrH

EYS.

M4 L 7 Y 8 8 0 9 5 o a M 9 M W 6 n 3 A i?- a V//, mm 5 g kin 6 Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNETED STATS Jr., Winthrop, Mass., assignors to Compo Shoe Machinery Corporation, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Application .lune 24, 1937, Serial No. 159,@50

26 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of footwear, and more particularly to an apparatus for engaging in the welt crease of a shoe to support the welt against pressure from beneath, as in sole-aiXing, sole-laying or channel-laying operations.

A general object of the invention is to provide a welt hold-down having improved features of construction.

More particularly, objects of the invention are to provide a welt hold-down having a wide range of adjustment so that it can handle shoes of widely varied sizes and shapes, which 'is rugged in construction, easy to manipulate, and well suited for attachment to and cooperation with existing or other suitable types of presses.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a press equipped with a Welt hold-down embodying features of this invention, part of the bow member being broken away better to show the top of the welt holddown construction;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the press shown in Fig. l, parts thereof being broken away and shown in section better to illustrate the construction;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal, sectional View on an enlarged scale taken substantially along line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse, vertical sectionalview taken substantially along line 4--4 of Fig. 2;` o

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective View showing a detail of a connection between adjoining platen elements; K Y l Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view similar to Fig. 3 but showing another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the structure shown (Cl. lZ-SS) Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional View similar to Fig. 3 but showing a further embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View taken along line i-Iil of Fig. 9. 5

At the present time, many welt shoes are m'ade with a cement bond between the outsole and the welt. The cement aiiixation of the outsole is usually effected in a press which urges the sole up against the shoe which is held against upward displacement. This pressure from below tends to roll or curve the Welt extension unless the latter is adequately supported. The device of the present invention affords such support for the welt and is generally useful in cement sole ailixing operations and other operations in which pressure is applied to the welt extension from belo-w, such as sole-leveling and channel-laying. The device of the present invention is adapted to be mounted on or to be used in conjunction with a press capable of carrying out any of these operations.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and first to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a press comprising a pocketed base member I having ixedly attached thereto a longitudinal bow member I i carrying a heel post I2 and a threaded toe post i3 which is adapted to be locked at any desired height with respect to the bow member by means of the lock nut i4. The lower end of the toe post carries a shoe engaging cushion I 5. The pocketed portion of the base i El carries a pressure pad I having an upper diaphragm which is adapted to be urged by means of fluid pressure against the bottom of a shoe held in the press. This pressure may be increased in any desired manner, as, for example, by means of a fluid inlet and outlet conduit il which is adapted to be operated in a manner well-known to the art. The entire press may conveniently be mounted on a belt or other conveyor, and as thus far described is of more or less conventional construction forming no part of the present invention except 'insofar as it is utilized in combination with the'features about to be described.

The device for supporting the welt may conveniently be mounted on the toe post i3, although this is not essential since it may be 'otherwise mounted on or with respect to the press. When it is to be mounted on the toe post, the latter is 50 provided with a sleeve or collar I8 which is threaded over the toe post and held at a desired vertical height by means of a lock nut I9. A support 2@ is swingably mounted on the sleeve I8 by means of' inwardly extending trunnions 2| 55 and 22 which are arranged along a common axis extending transversely of the press so that the support 20 may tilt longitudinally. The support 'has a forwardly projecting tongue 23 provided with an elongate longitudinal slot or opening 24 and also has laterally extending Wings 25 and 26 respectively provided with openings 21 and 28. Adjacent the rear of opening 21, a pivot 29 swingably carries upper and lower plates 30 each provided with an elongate slot 3|. A similar pivot 32 is positioned at the rear end of the Opening 28 and pivotally carries upper and lower plates 33 provided with elongate slots 34. The plates 30 and 33 are adapted to swing across their respective wings 25 and 26 with their slots in registry with the openings in such wings.

The slot 24 in the forwardly projecting tongue 23 has a headed post 35 extending downwardly therethrough. The lower end of post 35 is xvedly mounted in a transverse bar comprising a toe platen casting 36, and a compression spring 31 surrounds the post 35 and seats between a Ycollar 38 adjacent the toe platen bar and a spring seat or washer 39 adjacent the tongue 23, so as normally to urgey the platen bar downwardly toward the pad diaphragm. The central portion of the toe platen casting at its lower rearwardly facing edge is tapered into a platen portion 40 which is adapted to seat over the welt extension at the toe or tip of the shoe as indicated in Fig. 2 where the shoe is shown in dotted outline. Extending laterally from the central portion of the toe platenV casting are end portions 4| and 42 respectively, provided with elongate transversely extending slots 4'3 and 44.

A pair of side platens 45 and 46 are provided, each having downwardly extending attenuated inner edge portions 41 and 48 adapted to enter in the welt crease at the opposite sides of the forepart of the shoe so as to hold down the welt. The forward ends of platens 45 and 46 are respectively bifurcated at 49 and 50, the upper fork being shown best in Fig. 3. The lower fork extends beneath the adjacent end portions 4| `or 42 of the toe platen casting. A threaded pin 5| (Fig. 3) is screwed through the upper and lower forks 4'9 and passes through the slot 43 along which it is adapted to slide. This pin has an enlarged head 52 facilitating assembly and disassembly of the platen 45 with the end portion 4|. The forks 50 on the platen 46Vhave a' 54, and the latter is connected to the head 52 by means of a tension spring 55 which serves normally to urge the platens 45 and 46 toward each other to the extent permitted by the slots 43 and Y44 in the toe platen casting.

Toward its vrear end the side Vplaten 45 Vhas xedly attached'to it an upwardly extending post 56, the upper end of which passes through the registered slots Y3| in'plates 30 as well as the opening 21 in the wing 25. This post carries a collar 51 limiting its through the slots 3| and has a spring 58 surrounding it and bearing between a lock nut 59 adjacent the platen and a spring seat 60 adjacent the under-side of the lowermost plate 30. l

The side platen 46 also has near its rear end a post 6I the upper end of which projects through downward movement i and above the registered slots 34 in plates 33 and through the opening 28 in wing 26. A collar 62 prevents undue downward movement of post 6| and a compression spring 63 surrounds such post and is seated between a lock nut 64 and a spring seat or washer 65.

Preferably, each side platen is provided with a rearwardly extending tail piece which is flexibly articulated thereto. In the illustrated construction, the Welt holddown is designed for a left shoe and the side platen 45 is adapted to engage around the outer side of such shoe and is somewhatlonger than the opposite platen 46. A tail piece 66 abuts the rear end of platen 45 and has a platen portion 61 forming a continuation of the welt crease engaging portion 41. The tail piece is connected to the platen for relative horizontal and vertical swinging Ymovement with respect thereto. To effect this, the hinge connecting element illustrated in Fig. 5 is employed. The upper edges of the platen and tail piece are mutually coped near their abutting ends to'accommodate the connector 68 which has a forwardly extending vertical flange 69 connected by means of a horizontal pivot pin 1|) with the rear of the side platen. The connector 68 also has a rearwardly extending horizontal flange 1| connected to the tail piece by means of a vertical pivot pin 12. A leaf spring 13 is conned between the nut 59 and the platen 45 and bears against the upper surface of the tail piece to restrain the upward tilting of the latter under pressure exerted bythe pad diaphragm.

The side platen 46 has a similar but Vpreferably somewhat shorter tail piece 14 pivoted thereto in the same manner and similarly restrained against undue upward movement by means of a leaf spring 15. Both tail pieces are limited against undue inward or downward Vswinging movement by abutment against the adjoining side platen, as illustrated.

In operation, a widely varied assortment of shoes can be accommodated inasmuch as the side platens may be moved bodily toward and from each other by virtue of the sliding joint at 43 or 44 and may also be swung pivotally with respect'to the toe platen casting. The under surfaces of the side and .toe platens are shaped to be always suiciently contiguous to give a satisfactory support to the welt at the tip of the shoe. The welt hold-down also is effective for a considerable distance rearwardly into the shank portion of the shoe by virtue of the tail pieces 66 and 14 which are adapted to be accommodated both to the lateral and Vertical contours of the shoe bottom. The entire unit is movable longitudinally with respect to the toe post when desired by virtue of the elongate slot 24 and openings 21 and 28. However, this adjustment is not often needed since the shoe is generally fitted into the welt hold-down and has its longitudinal position on the pad more or less controlled thereby.

When pressure is applied,Y beneath the welt, as in cement-afiixing a sole thereto, the various welt supporting elements Vwhich are entered in the welt crease bear down against the upper surface of the welt and are held thereagainst under pressure of the several springs 31, 58 and 63, which are made strong enough to afford requisite cementing pressure.

YThe side platens are normally urged toward each other by means of tension springs 16 and 11, respectively extending between posts 56 and 6| and a rearwardly extending linger 18 cast integrally with the support 28.

In Figs. 6 and 7 another arrangement o-f the platens is shown. These platens are adapted to be suspended on posts 35, 56 and 6| as in the first described form, these posts in turn being sus' pended from a support 26 (Fig. 1) suitably mounted on the shoe press. The platens comprise a side platen |46 having a tail |14 connected to its free end for vertical swinging movement about a hinge |68. 'Ihis hinge does not permit horizontal swinging movement, but it will be obvious that if this is desired, it can be provided by means of the arrangement shown in Fig. 5. This platen carries a downward extension |48 shaped to .enter the welt crease of a shoe. The unit includes another platen |45 having a tail piece |66 hinge to its free end for vertical swinging movement. Platen |45 has a downward extension |41 adapted to enter the welt crease on the left side of the shoe. A front platen |46 is provided which depends from a transversely extending bar portion |36 of the platen |46, these parts all being integral as illustrated. The post 35 passes through this bar portion |36, the latter having a transverse elongate slot 83 for this purpose. The platen |45 has a forward end portion |49 which is extended transversely so as to overlap the bar portion |36 and this end portion is provided with a transversely elongate slot 19 which accommodates the post 35 while permitting lateral bodily sliding movement between the platen |45 and the remaining platens. The bar portion |36 has a forwardly projecting lug 86 formed thereon and the end portion |48 has a similar lug 8|, The forwardly projecting lugs 8) and 8| respectively carry upstanding ears 88' and 8| which are pivotally pinned through the lugs. 'Ihese ears have aligned bores threaded in opposite directionsv through which passes a right and left threaded adjusting screw 82 which may be rotated to effect separation or approach of the platens. The platens |45 and |45 may be pivotally swung open and closed about the axes of the pins of ears 88' and 8|', the slots 19 and 83 affording suitable accommodation for post 35 when this is done.

Leaf springs such as |13 are provided at the rear of each side platen to urge the respective tail pieces downwardly.

In Fig. 8 an arrangement is shown which is generally similar to that in Figs. 6 and '1 except that it' has a spring bias at the toe end of the platens. Here a side platen 246 is formed integrally with a bar portion 236 and a front platen portion 248, the bar 236 being provided with a transverse elongate slot 283. A side platen 245 is also provided and has a transversely extending front end portion 249 provided with a transverse elongate slot 219. These slots are adapted to be registered and to have a front post 35 passed therethrough to form a pivot about which the platens may both swing and slide. Lugs 288 and 28! respectively project forwardly from the opposed platen structures and are connected by a tension spring 255 which normally urges the platens into their closest lateral relation. The platens may otherwise be constructed as in Figs. l or 6, and are adapted to be suspended from a press by any suitable means, such as that shown in Fig. 1. l

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in Figs. 9 and 10 where rigid metallic side platens 345 and 346 are provided and respectively have overlapped front end portions 336 and 349, the latter being provided with a transverse elongate slot 319. A post 35 extends through this slot and is fixed in the end portion 336 of platen 346. Toward their rear or free ends these side platens are provided with enlargements for accommodating supporting posts 56 and 6|.

Extending from the underside of the platens is a continuous heavy elastic rubber strip 84, the inner edge of which is somewhat beveled as at 85 to facilitate its entry in the welt crease around the end of a shoe, the continuous rubber strip in' this respect performing the function of platen portions 48, 41 and 48 in the first described form. At its forward end the rubber strip 84 is lxedly attached by means of a screw 85 to the adjacent toe portion of the platen end 336, At its free rear ends the rubber strip 84 is screwed to platen 86 each of which has an upstanding spring seat 81 attached thereto by means of a screw 88 which passes through a longitudinal slot 89 provided in the rear end of each of platens 345 and 346. Compression springs 96 bear between the spring seats 81 and the respective post-accommodating enlargements on the side platens, being guided on pins 9| which are slidable through such enlargements. The rubber strip 84 is otherwise free from attachment to the metal platens. By virtue of this arrangement, when the structure is pivoted or laterally widened the ends of the rubber welt hold down strips are free to move with respect to the metal platens so that the strip may readily accommodate itself to the shoe.

The entire arrangement shown in Figs. 9 and l0 is adapted to be supported on a press in the same manner as in the preceding forms, or in any other suitable manner.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A weit support unit, comprising a pair of relatively movable platens shaped to t in the welt crease on opposite sides of a shoe, a bar spanning the ends of said platens, at least one of said platens having a laterally extending free sliding connection with said bar whereby it may move bodily toward and from the other platen, and at least one of said platens being swingably connected with said bar about only a single pivot whereby it may freely swing with respect to the remaining platen, and means normally urging said platens toward each other along said sliding connection.

2. A weld support unit, comprising a pair of relatively movable platens shaped to i'lt in the welt crease on opposite sides of a shoe, a bar spanning the ends of said platens, pivotal connections between the ends of said platens and said bar, at

least one of said connections being arranged tov provide lateral sliding movement between its platen and said bar, spring means urging the pivoted ends of said platens together, and added spring means urging the free ends of said platens together.

3. A welt support unit, comprising a transverse maining side platen, anV end platen carried by said bar between said side platens in position to enter the welt crease at the end of said shoe, and spring means normally urging the pivoted ends of said side platens toward each other.

5. A welt support unit, comprising a transverse bar,.side platens fitted to enter the welt crease on opposite sides of a shoe each having an end pivotally mounted on said bar, at least one of said' platens being also slidable along said bar for bodily movement towardand from the remaining side platen, an end platen carried by said bar between said side platens in position to enter the welt crease at the end of a shoe, spring means urging the pivoted ends of said side latens together, and added spring meansurging he free ends of said platens together.

6. A welt support unit, comprising a transverse bar having elongate slots at its opposite ends and having a downwardly extending central platen adapted to t over the welt at the toe end of a shoe, a pair of side platens tted to enter the welt crease on opposite sides of a shoe and each having a pivot pin pivotally and slidably accommodated in said bar slots, a tension spring connecting said pins, means extending upwardly from the free ends of said side platens above the top of such shoe, and springV means urging said upwardly extending means together. f Y

'7. In a shoe press, a weld hold-down unit com-Y prising a support mounted on the press and hav.

ing laterally spaced openings, a post extending downwardly from saidY support and` havingv a transverse bar at its Vlower end, a platen on the central portion of said bar shaped to fit over the welt at the toe of a shoe in said press, side platens pivotally mounted on said' bar at each side of said central platen and shaped to enter the welt crease on opposite sides of said shoe, side posts extending upwardly from the free ends Vof each of said side platens and respectively passing through said support openings, and means retaining said side posts for loose motion in said openings to provide for opening and closing' movement of said side platens.

8. In a shoe press, a welt hold-down unit comprising a support mounted on the press and having a forward opening and rearward laterally spaced openings, a, post extending through said forward opening and having a transverse bar at its lower end, a platen on the central portion of said bar shaped to fit over the welt at the toe of a shoe in said' press, side platens pivotally mounted on said bar at each side of said central platen and shaped to enter the welt crease on opposite sides of said shoe, side posts respectively passing through said laterally spaced openings in loose motion relation therewith and'having -their lower ends attached to the free ends of said side platens, and' spring means urging said posts and platens downwardly with respect to said support.

9. In a shoe press, a welt hold-down unit com- `prising a support mounted on the press and having a forward openingY and rearward laterally spaced openings, a post extending through said forward opening and having a transverse bar at its lower end', a platen on the central portion of said bar shaped to fit over the welt at the toe of a shoe in said press, side platens pivotally and 'laterally slidably mounted on said bar at each side of said central platen and shaped to enter the welt crease on opposite sides of said shoe, side posts respectively passing through said laterallyY forward opening and having a transverse bar atv its lower end, a platen on the central portion of said bar shaped to nt over the welt at the toe of a shoe in said press, side platens pivotally and laterally slidably mounted on said bar at each side of said central platen and shaped to enter the welt crease on opposite sides ofsaid shoe,

side posts respectively passing through said laterally spaced openings and having their lower ends attached to the free ends of said platens, said side posts having a loose motion relation with their respective support openings permitting their relative approach, spring means urging the pivoted ends of said side platens together, spring means urging said side posts together and spring means urging said posts and platens downwardly with respect to said support.

1l. In a shoe press, a weltV hold-down unit.V

comprising a support mounted on the press and having a forward opening and rearward laterally spaced openings, a post extending through said forward opening and having a transverse barfat its lower end, a platen on the central portion of said bar shaped to fit over the welt at the toe of a shoe in said press, side platens pivotally and laterally slidably mounted on said bar at each side of said central platen and shaped to enter the welt crease on opposite sides of said shoe, side posts respectively passing through said laterally spaced openings andhaving their lower ends attached to the free ends of said platens, said side posts having a loose motion relation with their respective support openings permitting their relative approach, spring means urging the pivoted ends of said side platens together and spring means urging said side posts together, Vsaid supportY openings all having longitudinal extent whereby said posts and platens may be shifted as a unit longitudinally of said press.

12. A welt support unit comprising a pair of side platens mounted for opening and closing movement with respect to each other and shaped to enter the welt crease on opposite sides of a shoe, and a tail or extension on at least one of said platens extending rearwardly therefrom and shaped to enter the welt crease of said shoe, said platen and tail having ya flexible joint therebetween providing for vertical swinging movement of the tail with respect to the platen.

13. A welt support unit comprising a pair of side platens mounted for opening and closing movement with respect to each other and shaped to enter the welt crease on opposite sides of a shoe, and a tail or extension on at least one of said platens extending rearwardly therefrom and shaped to enter the welt crease of said shoe, said platen and tail having a flexible joint therebetween providing for horizontal and vertical swinging movement of the tail with respect to the platen.

14. A welt support unit comprising a pair of side platens mounted for opening and closing movement with respect to each other and shaped to enter the welt crease on opposite sides of a shoe, and a tail or extension on at least one of said platens extending rearwardly therefrom and shaped to enter the welt crease of said shoe, said platen and tail having a flexible joint therebetween providing for horizontal and vertical swinging movement of the tail wtih respect to the platen, and spring means extending from said platen over said tail yieldingly to hold the latter against upward vertical swinging movement.

15. In a shoe press, a welt hold-down unit comprising a support mounted on said press for tilting movement about a. transverse axis, a pair of side platens suspended from said support, a tail or extension mounted for horizontal and vertical swinging movement on the rear lend of at least one of said side platens, said platens and tail being shaped to enter the Welt crease of a shoe, and spring means yieldably holding said tail against upward swinging movement with respect to its platen.

16. A welt support unit comprising, a support adapted to be mounted in association with a shoe press, side platens mounted on said support and adapted to enter the welt crease on opposite sides of a shoe, the forward ends of said platens being overlapped, a post connecting said overlapped ends, at least one of said ends having a transverse slot accommodating said post to permit lateral bodily movement of said platens toward and from each other.

17. A welt support unit comprising, a support adapted to be mounted in association with a shoe press, said platens mounted on said support and adapted to enter the welt crease on opposite sides of a shoe, the forward ends of said platens being overlapped, a post connecting said overlapped ends, at least one of said ends having a transverse slot accommodating said post to permit lateral bodily movement of said platens toward and from each other and means connecting the forward ends of said platens for moving them together at the forward end of a shoe.

18. A welt support unit comprising, a support adapted to be mounted in association with a shoe press, welt holding means on said support including a transverse bar, side platens tted to enter the welt crease on opposite sides of a shoe, one of said platens being integral with said bar and the other being pivotally and laterally slidably mounted on said bar, and an end platen carried by said bar between said side platens in position to enter the welt crease at the end of said shoe.

19. A welt support unit comprising, a support adapted to be mounted in association with a shoe press, welt holding means on said support including a pair of platens each carrying a lower portion respectively adapted to enter respective portions of the welt crease around the sides and end of a shoe, the forward ends of said platens being overlapped and each having a laterally extending slot therethrough, and a post extending through said slots to connect said platens in pivotal and laterally slidable relation.

20. A welt support unit comprising a support adapted to be mounted on a shoe press, said support having a forwardly extending slotted tongue and laterally extending apertured Wings, a front post extending through and downwardly from said slotted tongue, a plurality of platens shaped to extend around the forepart of a shoe in said press including side platens, side posts respectively connecting the rear portions of said side platens in supported relation with said apertured Wings, at least one of said plurality of platens being mounted on said front post and having a pivotal connection with one of said side platens, said last named side platen overlapping the platen mounted on said front post, one of said overlapped platens having a laterally extending slot in its overlapped portion at said pivotal connection whereby it may be pivotally and bodily laterally moved, said plurality of platens carrying means at their lower portions for entering the welt crease around the forepart of said shoe to support the welt against pressure from below.

21. A welt support unit comprising a support adapted to be mounted in association with a shoe press, a plurality of rigid metal platens shaped to flt around the forepa-rt of a shoe, means mounting said platens on said support for pivotal and and lateral bodily movement with respect to each other, and a. continuous rubber strip underlying said platens and adapted to enter the welt crease varound the forepart of said shoe, said strip having its intermediate portion ixed to one of said platens adjacent the toe end thereof, and having its free ends respectively attached near the free ends of said platens by means of loose mo-tion connections.

22. A welt support unit comprising a support adapted to be mounted in association with a shoe press, a plurality of rigid metal platens shaped to rit around the forepart of a shoe, means mounting said platens on said support for pivotal and lateral bodily movement with respect to each other, a continuous rubber strip underlying said platens and adapted to enter the welt crease around the forepart of said shoe, said strip having its intermediate portion xed to one of said platens adjacent the toe end thereof, and having its free ends respectively attached near the free ends of said platens by means of loose motion connections, and springs normally urging the free ends of said strip rearwardly with respect to said platens.

23. A welt support unit comprising a pair of platens each carrying a lower portion respectively adapted to enter respective portions of the welt crease around the sides and end of a shoe, the forward ends of said platens being overlapped and each having a laterally extending slot therethrough, a post extending through said slots to connect said platens in pivotal and laterally slidable relation, a projecting ear pivotally mounted about a vertical axis on the forward portion of each of said platens, and an adjusting screw having right and left threaded sections respectively screwed in said pivotally mounted ears.

24. A welt support unit comp-rising a pair of platens adapted to enter the welt crease on opposite sides of a` shoe, the forward ends of said platens being overlapped and -each having a laterally extending slo-t therethrough, a post extending through said slots to connect said platens in pivotal and laterally slidable relation, and adjusting screw means pivotally connected with said platens to vary their laterally slidable relation while permitting alteration of their pivotalV crease on Vopposite sides of a shoe each having an end pivotally mounted on said bar, at least one of said platens being also slidable along said bar for bodily movement toward and from the remaining side platen, and an end platen carried by said bar between said platens in position tov enter the welt crease at the end of said shoe.

26. A welt support unit, comprising a transverse bar having a post extending upwardly therefrom, supporting means vertically slidably accommodating said post,-spaced side members tted to, enter the Welt crease on opposite sides of a shoe each having its forward end attached to said bar,` such attachment of at least one of said members' beingvpivotal and laterally slidable with respect to said bar,'said transverse bar having an end member spanning the space between the forward ends of said side members and tted to enter the Welt crease at the end of the shoe, addi-Y tional posts respectively extending lfrom lsaid side members, and means vertically slidably sup- Y porting vsaid additional posts. Y

JOHN F. SMITH. Y WILLIAM C. CARD, JR.Y 

